MLB Player Props for Tuesday, 5/20: Best Bets & Predictions Today
What kind of performances can we expect on Tuesday from Kyle Hendricks, Zack Littell, and Yoan Moncada? Follow along as our MLB betting analyst, Nick Galaida, breaks down three of his favorite MLB prop bets for Tuesday, May 20th. Get all of Nick’s picks, including more MLB plays, by subscribing to the RotoGrinders Props & Pick’em package.
All 30 MLB teams are scheduled to be in action as part of Tuesday’s 15-game slate (plus some bonus baseball if counting the Guardians and Twins having to finish yesterday’s matchup, which was suspended in the 4th inning). And, of course, a big slate means plenty of betting opportunities!
As always, be sure to monitor our MLB starting lineups page throughout the day, as unexpected changes in the batting order can result in value opportunities in the betting and DFS markets.
Another reminder – it’s not a bad beat, or unlucky, if you bet a player to hit a home run and his fly ball dies on the warning track because it’s 40 degrees with the wind blowing in! Before locking in any bets, use our MLB weather page, curated by Chief Meteorologist, Kevin Roth. There are countless edges to be found if we make the right reads on possible rain delays and great hitting weather, just to name a few. Taking a look at the weather report can save us from a bad bet that otherwise looks good on the surface.
Below, you can find my 3 picks for Tuesday, May 20th!
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Best MLB Player Props for Tuesday, May 20th
Here are my top player prop bets for today, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:40 PM ET on Tuesday, May 20th:
- Kyle Hendricks Over/Under 2.5 Earned Runs
- Zack Littell Over/Under 2.5 Earned Runs
- Yoan Moncada Over/Under 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs
Kyle Hendricks OVER 2.5 Earned Runs Allowed (-165, BetMGM)
Across his last 6 turns in the rotation, Hendricks owns a 6.46 ERA, 6.10 FIP, and 1.30 WHIP. He’s walking a lot of batters, isn’t missing many bats, and he is allowing a high barrel% — not exactly a recipe for run prevention in a small, wind-sensitive ballpark. There is also some reason to believe that Hendricks could be forced to suffer through some damage tonight, with the Angels’ arm barn in rather poor shape. If the Athletics are able to jump out to an early lead, it’s possible the Angels simply ask Hendricks for length in an effort to get some of their relievers some rest. The more time Hendricks is on the mound, the more opportunities the Athletics will have to get to him.
Zack Littell OVER 2.5 Earned Runs (-115, BetMGM)
On the surface, Littell has been reasonably effective of late, with a 3.45 ERA across his last 5 turns in the rotation. However, the underlying metrics – a 5.56 FIP and 13.5% barrel rate—suggest that some negative regression could be in store sooner rather than later. The Astros offense ranks 10th in wRC+ against RHP during the last 14 days of action, and tonight they get to play in 88-degree weather outside in the state of Florida. Houston has some guys capable of hitting the ball out of the ballpark in this matchup, which creates some value on the over.
Yoan Moncada OVER 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (-115, BetMGM)
Moncada failed to record a hit last night, but he did have an RBI and a ball in play that was 108 mph off of the bat. That is to say that he’s still seeing the baseball well. Since returning from the injured list, he owns a 140 wRC+, with 3 home runs and 9 RBIs in 12 games. This is good value for a player who is likely to be in the top half of the lineup again, hitting in a ballpark that has been very friendly to offense to begin 2025.
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